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INFOGRAPHIC: The Physics Of Olympic Bodies

August 09, 2012 3:04 AM ET

Olympians from the 1912 games seem a bit shorter, a bit scrawnier, a bit more ... average. Over the past century, elite athletes' bodies have changed a lot, and this evolution has been propelled by the laws of physics.

Weightlifters

Sprinters

Rowers

Marathon Runners

Swimmers

Source: David Davis (author of Marathon Crasher), Sports Reference, International Weightlifting Federation, Adrian Bejan and Jordan Charles, United States Olympic Committee, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Richard Steckel, Robert Margo, Anu Dudhia